Clark Capital Management Group Inc. Sells 55,802 Shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. $WSM

Clark Capital Management Group Inc. trimmed its stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE:WSM) by 14.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 339,864 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 55,802 shares during the period. Clark Capital Management Group Inc.’s holdings in Williams-Sonoma were worth $66,426,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Williams-Sonoma by 22.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,742 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,248,000 after purchasing an additional 1,236 shares in the last quarter. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the fourth quarter worth about $227,000. Woodline Partners LP purchased a new stake in shares of Williams-Sonoma in the first quarter worth about $1,644,000. ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Williams-Sonoma by 31.7% during the second quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 25,139 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $4,107,000 after buying an additional 6,044 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP grew its holdings in Williams-Sonoma by 55.9% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 678 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $111,000 after buying an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. 99.29% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Williams-Sonoma Trading Up 0.5%

WSM stock opened at $180.24 on Friday. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has a 12 month low of $130.07 and a 12 month high of $222.00. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $204.98 and a 200 day moving average price of $195.17. The stock has a market cap of $21.52 billion, a PE ratio of 19.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.64.

Williams-Sonoma Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 16th were paid a $0.66 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 16th. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Williams-Sonoma’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.04%.

Insider Activity at Williams-Sonoma

In other news, EVP Karalyn Yearout sold 767 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $205.16, for a total value of $157,357.72. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 13,236 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,715,497.76. This represents a 5.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Laura Alber sold 35,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $207.39, for a total value of $7,258,650.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 806,537 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $167,267,708.43. This represents a 4.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on WSM. Weiss Ratings raised Williams-Sonoma from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Williams-Sonoma from $188.00 to $208.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Zelman & Associates raised shares of Williams-Sonoma from an “underperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $205.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Evercore set a $215.00 target price on shares of Williams-Sonoma in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on Williams-Sonoma from $175.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Williams-Sonoma currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $203.78.

Williams-Sonoma Company Profile

Williams‑Sonoma, Inc is a specialty retailer focused on the home and culinary markets, best known for premium cookware, kitchen tools and home furnishings. The company traces its roots to a single cookware store founded by Chuck Williams in 1956 in Sonoma, California, and has evolved into a multi‑brand home furnishings and housewares business. Its merchandise mix spans cookware and kitchen electrics, tabletop and food prep items, furniture, bedding, lighting and decorative accessories designed for both everyday use and higher‑end interiors.

The company operates a portfolio of consumer brands that target distinct segments of the home market.